Ask Lemmy

Schools do indeed sometimes teach some conformist lessons, primarily regarding how you should operate as an individual to work within the Capitalist machine.

That does not mean we should abolish all schools. It means we should ensure schools that do sometimes push conformist messages stop doing that, while still remaining the educational institutions that they are.

Schools taught me the math I use every day both at work and at home, the history I derive various meanings and life lessons from, the art lessons I use to relax in my free time, exercise and nutrition advice that keeps me healthy, writing that I've used to publish articles read by thousands, better budgeting, leadership and coordination skills, and even some philosophy that I've used to better understand my place in the world.

Not to mention how schools are the primary way many kids create friendships, as it essentially forces you and many other people to all exist in the same, dense space, nearly every day, for extended periods of time, which is crucial for social development.

Without all of that education, I and many others would be in a much worse spot. I find it absurd you'd argue against a concept so deeply human that so many cultures across landmasses and time periods had some form of education through systems very similar to what we'd call "school" now, because it benefited not just society, but any individual that participated in it.

What do you propose as an alternative to school? No education at all, where we simply hope that people's personal experiences will lead them to the right answers and knowledge they could need for their future?